The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-13
AN AWFUL DEATH.
The Terrible Tentacles of an Octopus
Wound Around Chin csc Fisherman.
From The alta Califo,nia.

From the Alta California.
An unusual connection and excitement
have been noticeable for several days past
among the members of the little Chinese
fishing colony that is located on the arms of
the bay that stretches between the Potrero
and South San Francisco. The odd-shaped
scows and RATS in which the fishermen pur-
sue their vocation have been Swimming
around the bay in an aimless way;
the plodding clam catcher instead of
plodding in the mud for the BIZ
valves has put in the time in running
around the beach and even extending his
travels to the other side of Butcher
town, as if he were in search of some
thing. At night twice the ordinary number
of tapers and punks have been burned in
the camp, and the celestials have been
heard chanting low, monotonous song
that sounded like a death dirge. On We'd
nesday the cause of the movements was dis
covered Lee Chung Tux, one of the most
prosperous and energetic members of the
community, is no more. That he is dead all
his former companions firmly believe now,
though for some time they entertained
hopes that he might have escaped the hor-
rible fate which three of his friends assert
that he met with. Acting under this inn
preston the searching parties were insti-
tuted. The circumstances attending his
disappearance from his hauntS and friends
are according to the statements, sensational
as well as tragical.
Tux was the owner of one of the neatest
iunks in the colonial fishing fleet, and had
three@ssistants to help him in his labors.
From the pigeon English of the Chinese the
following story has been cleaned Aside
from certain imaginative touches which the
fears of the Chinese may have caused them
70 a T., Ioo CHI hot
ing sharks are not the only dreaded sea
monsters which are harbored by the deep
waters of the bay
IN THE MONSTERS CLUTCHES.
On last Saturday evening as the sun was
declining and the mists floating in from the
sea, Tux and his three companions hauled
out into deep water i'll their junk, which, by
the way, is called by Chinese name. which,
being translated, means ''the ever resplen-
dent queen of the ocean that snaps her
fingers at the devils of the Deep 1t was
the object of the party to lay their nets by
night and have them in readiness by the
morning. Some hours were occupied in the
occupation, for however expert Tuk's
queen was in swapping her fingers at the
devils, she was mighty slow in getting
| through the water. The moon was we'll up
in the sky and cast halo of silver light
| around on the ripping waves as they
swashed against the sides of the junk. Tux
was leaning over the edge of the boat adj
| Justing some ropes. In that same moment
| Tuk's companions saw a huge shiny, SER
pent.like arm emerge from the water and
| Irvine itself around his middle. A great
scream broke from his lips and died away
! Ill sickening gurgle as the breath was
| forced out of him by the compression of the
air. Cries of horror and fright arose from
| Tuks comrades, and they crouehed low in
| the boat and watched Tux struggle in the
| horribN embrace. Their cries were re-
| doubled when, almost in the space of an
other moment, at least six hideous looking
arms arose in the air and began to whirl
around Like windmill or a breezy day.
| The armsor tentacles then commenced to
swish around the boat as if they were feel
| ing for the other Chinese who We're moaning
and crying with terror. Tuk's body was
| still wriggling, and a gurgle came from his
throat. Two of the waving arms were
wound around his limbs, binding them with
| teriffN power. Then a huge, jelly-lik
body rose in the water close, by the junk,
and by the light of the moon the terrified
Chinese saw the huge, gaping mouth of the
monster, and the protruding eyes shot out
a greenish CLEAN. A new peril was now
staring the wretched fishermen in the face
| The weight of the monsters tentacles, one
| of which was clutching the gunwale fast
| was Ollo DOcAU ONGI HUI ny
! The gUnwale was even now almost Level
with the waves and the shivering, cover
ing Chinese would be dropped into the gap
| ing mouth or into the embrace of the ten
Jacles.
NOTHING ELSE THAN AN OCTOPUS.
| Fear at last seemed to nerve one of the
| Chinese with a desperate courage He
| crawled over to where a large Ratchet was
! lying and, Selling it, made his way to the
| gunwale. Then, standing up and lodging
a blow from one of the whirling arms, he
brought the sharp edge of the Ratchet
heavily down upon the clutching tentacle.
| One stroke, then a rapid second. The arm
was severed, and at the same time gust of
wind struck the boats sail and drove her a
good distance away from the fish ere it
could get another grip. The three men
were safe; with streaming eyes they saw
the yet struggling form of Tux dragged
beneath the waters. Fearing another at
tack from the monster, the frightened fish
ermen got out their long oars and
| rowed the Junk as rapidly as possible from
| the place. How they reached the Potrero
shore the men can hardly remember. They
! told the tale to their countrymen, and in
| tense was the excitement that followed and
varied the comments regarding the strange
sea devil which had taken off Tux Many of
the latter's friends believed that Tux had
| escaped and swan ashore. Then search
was made for his body in the water and
along the beach The affair has aroused
the superstitious fears of the Chinese.
They fear that the monster may visit them
again. The Topped off arm was thrown
overheard by Tuk's comrades, as they
really believed it was a section of the evil
one. Probably the queen, ETC., will be
burned as a sacrifice to the devil that visited
her and spirited away her owner.
If the statements of the Chinese fishermen
are accurate, the monster could have been
nothing else than an octopus. These crea-
lures, however, generally frequent tropical
waters, and it seems strange that one should
have found its way into this bay. The Chi
nese say that a strong odor was apparent
| when the arm was severed. This is charac-
teristic of the octopus. 1t is seldom that
anything to which the suckers in the tenta-
Giles of an octopus attach themselves gets
away, SO it looks decidedly as if Tux was
mo more as the Chinese think.
A New Metal for Heavy Guns.
| From the Neto York Sun.
| Tho ITpitad Statac Naval Tuctit,1ta Of